Ministry to the Homebound

“They will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.‘” Matthew 24:44-45

“If you have a sick or lonely person at home, be there. Maybe just to hold a hand, maybe just to give a smile, that is the greatest, the most beautiful work.” – Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcuta

One way for us to grow in our ability to both love and be loved is to pour out ourselves in service to someone else, as a gift. Ministry to the Homebound is an excellent opportunity. Taking time to get to know a fellow Christian, to be able to pray with them and for them on their journey is one of the great blessings of our community.

To Minister to the Homebound means to take between 30 minutes to an hour to visit someone who is too sick or frail to attend mass. It is an opportunity to reach out to another member of our community who is in need, to bring them the Eucharist, and to visit them.

What does this involve?
After Sunday Mass, to take the Eucharist to one of the elderly or sick members of our parish who is unable to attend mass. These ministers share the readings with, pray with and distributes Holy Communion to the sick.

What kind of Training is Involved?
You must be mandated as an extra-ordinary minister of the Eucharist. This means that you must have received the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. Additionally extra-ordinary ministers must be well-formed and serious about their faith, publicly affirm the magisterium of the Church, are in good standing in the Church and, if married, in a regular marital situation.

If you meet these qualifications you must then be trained as an extra-ordinary minister and then mandated by the Archbishop,

What if I am not ready for that kind of training.
We also have two nursing homes in our community. Currently, we are only able to offer a communion service in one of these homes. We need volunteers to come and help us to gather the residents, and assist at a communion service. This requires minimal on-the-job training and would be a great assistance to our current Homebound Ministry, and is a great way to get your “feet wet” in homebound ministry!